Ao Omae was born in 1992, in Hyogo Prefecture. Hailed in Japan as a rising star of gender-conscious literature since the publication in 2020 of People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice, he debuted in 2016 with a short story that was eventually included in the 2018 collection Kaitengusa, of which “Tumbleweed” is the titular story. Other titles by Ao include Watashi to wani to imōto no heya (A room for a crocodile, my sister, and me), Omoroi igai irannen (Only the funny stuff), and Marumi-chan to Usagi-kun (Marumi and Usagi).
Translation Folio
Spring 2023
Tumbleweed
The Kenyon Review · “Tumbleweed” by Ao Omae (translated by Emily Balistrieri) In the sleepy West, a run-down bar is turning sepia colored. In front of it, two men turn […]